


Let The Present Wash Away Memories of the Past

by celtic7irish



Series: Tony Stark Bingo 2019 [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Flashbacks, Gen, Past Character Death, Post-Infinity War, Pre-endgame, Tony Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 06:09:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20484158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celtic7irish/pseuds/celtic7irish
Summary: Watching the coming storm, Tony finds himself trapped in memories of the past. Lucky for him, he's surrounded by those that love him.





	Let The Present Wash Away Memories of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> For Tony Stark Bingo Square T3: Flashbacks

Tony couldn’t remember, later, what had triggered the flashback, but one moment he was sitting on the porch, watching the storm roll in, and the next moment, he was thousands of lightyears away, broken and bleeding and completely helpless to stop Thanos from erasing half the universe. Not that Tony particularly cared about half the universe, but one of those people had been Peter, a kid not even out of high school that Tony had dragged into a war he should have had no part in. Peter was brilliant, and with a bit of coaching, could be an amazing superhero, but that should have been his decision. Tony should’ve offered him tech,  _ protection _ , not drafted him into a war against Captain America, and then another one against an insane alien with delusions of grandeur.

It wasn’t the first time he’d been dragged back to that alien planet, crushed and alone except for one of Thanos’ daughters that hardly cared whether he lived or died, only that he might prove useful in helping her defeat her adoptive father. A distant part of him knew that he was having a flashback, that he was still on the porch of the home he’d made, his wife and child safe and nearby. But the rest of him couldn’t be convinced that it wasn’t real, that he wasn’t there, that he could just...get up and walk away.

His arms were gripped firmly, and all Tony could hear was, “I’m sorry.” Peter shouldn’t be the one apologizing; he hadn’t done anything wrong. It was all Tony’s fault. He’d gotten the kid killed, snapped away so that not even a body was left to bring back home to his aunt. He still didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse that May Parker had also been snapped, so he didn’t have to explain that he’d failed to protect her only nephew. Of course, it also meant that the only one left to punish him for his failure was himself.

“Sorry,” he muttered, over and over, his eyes unseeing even as a deep chill settled in his bones, cold striking his flesh in tiny droplets. 

It was that, more than anything, that helped draw him back. There had been no rain on Titan. No wind, either. It had been hot and dry there, like a desert. He blinked, staring wide-eyed down at his worried wife. “Pepper?” he asked, words scratching in his throat. He shivered, realizing that the storm had arrived and was currently soaking the both of them. He tugged Pepper towards him, into a hard hug, burying his face in her damp hair and just clinging. He knew he was shivering, but whether it was from the cold or the memories, he didn’t know.

“Let’s go inside, Tony,” Pepper said softly. “You’ll feel better when you’re warm.” Tony doubted it, but Pepper’s next words stirred him into moving. “Morgan is worried, too.”

Tony released Pepper, allowing her to help him to his feet and turn them both towards the front door. Morgan’s tiny face peered out at them through the window, and Tony offered her a shaky smile as Pepper fumbled open the front door and they stumbled inside, heedless of the water that followed after them, or the puddle they were leaving on the floor.

“Morgan, honey, can you get mommy and daddy some towels?” Pepper asked.

Morgan nodded, running forward and giving Tony’s legs a quick hug before she ran off. Tony’s legs gave out again, and he sunk to the floor, Pepper settling down with him and pulling him against her. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly.

Tony shook his head. “Do I ever?” he asked, and his voice was just tired. He’d been tired for so long now, he didn’t remember what it was like to not be exhausted all the time. The time he spent with Pepper and Morgan were some of the best days of his life, but some distant part of him still knew that it couldn’t last, knew that something was coming. Even with half the world gone, and the Avengers broken and scattered, he couldn’t shake the feeling.

Morgan returned, the pad of tiny bare feet preceding her, her arms filled with towels that she dropped in Tony’s lap. “Thanks, Pumpkin,” Tony told her, giving her a smile before shaking his head vigorously, splattering water all over Pepper and Morgan, who shrieked in delight. 

“Daddy!” she said, grabbing the towel and throwing it over Tony’s head. “You have to dry off first!” 

“Says who?” Tony demanded with mock indignation.

“Says me!” Morgan informed him, in the self-assured way that only a four year old could talk.

Pepper giggled. “And we all know you’re the boss,” she told their daughter, rubbing at her hair.

Morgan shook her head. “No,” she argued. “You’re the boss. Daddy says so.”

As his wife devolved into peals of laughter, Morgan grinning with pleasure, Tony slowly relaxed, allowing the warmth and love that surrounded him in the present chase away the chill from the past.

For once, Tony was content to live in the now.


End file.
